Betrayal
by Suni-Dlight
Summary: It just sort of happened,' she said. 'I woke up and realized what we were doing, the killing, the torture, was wrong. And so, I asked Harry for help.' 'You betrayed us,' i said. She nodded. 'I did.' Enjoy
1. Betrayed

**Disclaimer: Not mine. Sorry. . . . DON'T JUDGE ME! Whoa, sorry, lost the cool.**

**A/N: So this is new. It is a Draco Malfoy Story and I hope you guys like it. Enjoy.**

_Oh, Little Shadow, Little Shadow,_

_You just don't see, do you?_

_We see the world in only black and white,_

_While you see in many shades and hues._

She betrayed us all.

Mostly because of her, we were defeated and sent to Azkaban.

I spent two horrible years there because of her, because after her betrayal, I was stunned. I couldn't move, I couldn't speak, I could barely even breath, and it wasn't because of a spell.

I remembered she was standing next to me, fighting with me. . . . Until that blasted Potter appeared, pointing his wand at the two of us. But then, he held out his hand to her, waiting . . . and she took it. She took his hand and left me with no more than an 'I'm sorry'.

It shames me to admit that I was hurt. Hurt that this girl, two years younger then me, someone I had know in Hogwarts, who everyone in the Slytherin house had refereed to as my 'Shadow' had betrayed _me_. I guess . . . hard to imagine . . . she'd grown on me and I'd actually started to . . . _care_ . . . about her.

Until she did what she did. . . . Until I was happy that she was dead, to me and the world.

And now, here I was two years later, now twenty-one . . . and there _she_ was. There _she_ was strolling through Diagon Alley, a shopping bag from Flourish and Blotts clutched in one hand and her purse dangling over the other arm. She had changed her appearance a lot. Her hair was blond and short and her eyes were blue, but the face was still the same, the same heart-shape face with a couple of freckles on each cheek.

How dare she have the nerve to show her face in public? I didn't really give a damn about how much she had changed that face, it was still a fact of the matter. My insides clenched with anger as she bustled past where I was, her face down and a book in her hands, reminded me an awful lot about that horrid Hermione Granger.

It wasn't hard to move in front of her, seeing as how she didn't seem to notice anything around her. I snatched the book from her hands and she stopped, looking up at me, about to speak. Her eyes got wide and she took a step backwards.

"Hello, _Shadow_," I said. "Do you remember me?"

Her surprised look turned to one of anger. "It's Cree, Draco," she said. "I haven't been your Shadow for three years."

She snatched her book away from me and pushed past me. A smirk came to my face. She was just how I remembered her, tough and overconfident. Quickly, I turned around and grabbed her by her elbow, pulling her off towards Knockturn Alley.

"What are you doing?" she said. Her voice sounded silky, like I remembered it. "Where are you taking me? Let go of me!"

I pulled her past all the shops in the Alley, sharp owners glancing at us as she protested, pushing against me, but none of them did anything about it. We reached the back of the Alley and I finally let go of her.

She rubbed her elbow, glaring at me. I had left finger imprints on her creamy skin. "What the hell is your problem?"

"You've got some nerve, Cree," I said, shaking my head in disgust. "Showing up here when at least a quarter of the wizarding world wants you dead."

"Well, good thing at least an eighth of those guys is rotting away in Azkaban huh?" she said, giving me a sickly sweet smile and leaning against a pole. "Besides I'm not scared of any of them."

I scoffed. "Not scared? Tell me, how long have you been wandering around in this awful disguise?"

She hesitated. "It's not a disguise. I just wanted a new look."

"Oh, so I see. You've been disguising yourself since you supposedly 'died' right? Three years?"

She glared at me. "So what if I have? I'm protecting myself."

I pulled out my wand, waving it, using an unveiling charm on her. The blond hair slowly grew, falling down to her waist. It darkened from the light blond to brown to the darkest of black. Her eyes changed to in almost the same way, darkening to an incredibly dark brown. Her dark features compared to my light ones, was one of the reasons she had often been called my Shadow.

Her dark eyes glared at me as I leaned towards her. "You disgust me," I spat.

I grabbed her arm again but she was prepared for it this time. Her other arm wrapped around the pole she had been leaning against, gripping it tightly. "Let go of the pole, Cree. You're coming with me."

"I'm not going anywhere with you, you maniac!" she cried. "Let go of me!"

She yanked her arm from my grasp, wrapping it around the pole too. Her eyes were squeezed together tightly and her breathing was slightly labored.

I backed off, waiting. Just like I thought, she calmed down and I saw her visibly relax, the muscles in her shoulders loosening. I took the chance, grabbing her around her waist and snatching her from the pole. She screamed loudly, kicking her feet as I practically lifted her off the ground, bags and all.

I Apparated.

* * *

We appeared in the living room of the large cottage I owned. After I got out of Azkaban, I figured there was no way I was going back to Malfoy Manor, so I bought this place. And it was here that I dragged Cree through, screaming and kicking.

I deposited her in the guest room upstairs, sporting various new scratches and bruises.

"How dare you?" she cried hopping to her feet. Her eyes shown with angry and frustrated tears. "How dare you humiliate me like that? Just who the hell do you think you are?"

"As I said before, about a quarter of the wizarding world wants you dead," I said, glaring at her. "It would do you good to keep your happy arse out of sight. You should be grateful that I'm offering to help your sorry, pathetic self."

I walked out of the room, leaving her speechless. I was heading down the stairs when she screamed, "I can't freaking stand you, Draco Malfoy!"

The door slammed.

I smirked to myself. Oh how lovely it was to reunite with old friends.


	2. Cree Cranton

**Disclaimer: I wish it was mine, but it's not, sorry.**

**A/N: I'd just want to say thank you to everyone who responded to this story. I was glad to hear from a lot of you. Sorry it took me so long to update. I hope you enjoy this story. Oh and by the way, there will often be flashbacks of Draco and Cree's years in Hogwarts to give you more input on their previous relationship. Thanks for your reviews!**

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_Third Year_

_I was finally at my prime, I realized as I walked down the hallways of Hogwarts, people glancing at me as I passed. Thirteen and already an outstanding reputation as head Slytherin. The Slytherin Prince, I've heard people say. Handsome, suave, and all around bad boy. I had my loyal subjects and one girl who just couldn't get enough of me. Life was good._

"_Excuse me." I felt a slight tug on the sleeve of my robe and I turned, a scowl in place. A little girl stood behind me, her presence slightly alarming for her size. She stared up at me with large dark eyes set in a blank expression. Her velvety black hair was braided into two French braids, the braids falling halfway down her back. _

_I raised an eyebrow at her, still surprised of this presence she had about her. It was calm . . . almost deadly calm. I looked at the emblem on her robes. Slytherin. "What do you want kid?" I said._

_Her eyebrows shot up slightly, a look of anger passing through her eyes. "Well, if you're going to be rude about it, I'll find someone else more civil to help me find the Transfiguration room," she said, her voice drawling over the words._

_I caught her arm as she turned away from me. "Do you know who you are talking to?"_

_She looked to be considering my question. "Well, you don't look like my father, so I know I'm not talking to him."_

_Once again I was surprised by her confidence. I suppose I was used to first years who cowered in the presence of any person older than them. But this kid didn't seem to care that she was at the disadvantage._

_I smirked at her. "What's your name kid?"_

"_Who's asking?"_

"_Draco Malfoy." Why was I answering to this girl?_

_Her eyebrows lifted appreciatively. "Cree Cranton."_

" _Cranton," I said, recognizing her last name. "All right, I'll take you to your class. But you know you're going to have to learn the way sooner or later."_

_She scoffed. "Oh really, I hadn't thought of that."_

_I chuckled slightly. I think I was going to like this kid._

* * *

I stared at the door that led to Cree's room. She hadn't locked it, seeing as how that would be incredibly pointless. But she hadn't come out of the room either. I could practically feel her presence throughout the house and it had been bugging me to no end.

I knocked on the door, taking a deep breath. "You haven't eaten in a week, Cree. Starving yourself isn't going to get you out of this house. . . . My house-elves will be serving dinner in a couple of minutes, if you're interested."

I went back downstairs, where the house-elves Twinkles and Binky (my mother named them) were placing two plates on the dining room table.

"Dinner is ready, Draco Malfoy, sir," Binky said in his squeaky voice.

"Thank you, Twinkles, Binky," I said, sitting down at the table.

"Will Miss Cranton be joining you, sir?" Twinkles asked, her eyes glancing back towards where the stairs were.

As she asked, I felt Cree's presence coming closer. I smirked. "I do believe so."

"You'll never stop being cocky, will you Draco," she said from behind me.

I waited patiently for her to sit down across from me. She looked no different from when I had found her seven days ago if not slightly skinnier, though she had always been pretty tiny. Her hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail, her dark eyes never straying from mine.

We ate quietly like that, our eyes on each other as if we were both planning murder. Her eyes stayed calm while I'm sure mine looked incredibly amused.

"So tell me, Cree," I said, setting my fork down. "What have you been up the last couple of years? Well, besides hiding like a coward, that is."

"Oh, you know, this and that," she said, also putting down her fork. "What about you Draco? Besides, rotting away in prison, of course."

I smirked at her, chuckling softly. "You are a clever girl, Cree."

"That's what they tell me. . . . Why are you doing this?"

"I'm doing you a favor, Shadow. You should be grateful."

"You pretty much kidnapped me. Why should I be grateful for that?"

"It's hard to be considered kidnapped when people think you're dead."

Cree wiped her mouth off with a napkin and got to her feet. She turned towards the house-elves, bowing her head slightly. "Thank you both. Dinner was lovely."

"It is our pleasure, miss," Twinkles said, curtsying while Binky bowed.

I turned to her as she walked past, back towards the stairs. "You're probably going to be here a while, Cree. Might as well make yourself comfortable."

She stopped, her shoulders rigid. "What makes you think I'm staying here?"

"What makes you think you have anywhere else to go?"

I watched her back as she took a deep breath, continuing to the stairs. I turned back to my dinner plate, my appetite suddenly gone. I used to get so much enjoyment from criticizing and torturing Goody-Two Shoes Potter and his Goody-Two Shoes friends.

Technically, she was one of those Goody-Two Shoes too now, right? And yet, there was no pleasure in my torture.


	3. Hippogriffs

**Disclaimer: Not mine, dang it.**

**A/N: I really glad people like this story. I was scared it wasn't going to work out. Thanks for all your reviews and such. You guys are great.**

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_I lay in the hospital wing, my arm in a sling, and Pansy fretting all over me. Why was her voice so annoying? _

_Thankfully, the bell rang and Pansy looked towards the doors, a pout on her face as she turned back to me._

"_Go to class, Pansy," I told her, feigning bravery. "It's painful, but . . . I'll be fine. Go on."_

"_All right," she said. "But I'm coming back at dinner, all right?"_

"_All right."_

_Kissing her hand and then pressing it to my lips she hurried out the door. I sighed, happy to finally have some alone time. Pansy was a nice girl, if not a bit clingy. _

"_Wow, four weeks into the school year and you've already found yourself into the hospital wing."_

"_Oh no, not you," I said, a smirk coming to my face. _

"_Yes me." Cree sat down next to his bed, taking the chair Pansy had occupied. I still continued help but feel overwhelmed by her presence whenever she came around. Her eyes were soft as she looked at him._

"_Don't you have class?" I asked, still smirking at her._

"_It's free period for the first years," she said. She looked down at her arm. "I guess I was wrong."_

"_Wrong about what?" _

"_Wrong about your intellectual capacity. I'm a first year and even I know better than to mess with a wild hippogriff."_

_I frowned turning my face away from her. She sighed. "Oh come on, Draco, you know I'm just messing with you. So tell me, what on earth possessed you to aggravate a hippogriff?"_

_I looked back at her. She was leaning against my bed, her elbows on the covers, her hands holding up her head. My eyes locked with hers for one agonizing moment before I was able to tear myself away. She was an eleven year old for Merlin's sake! "I wasn't about to be outdone by that scar-head," I said._

_She rolled her eyes. "So you're saying you got jealous?"_

_I opened my mouth to protest but there was no point. In only four weeks, Cree seemed to know well enough when I was lying or not. "Did you come in here to torment me?"_

"_Of course. But also to see if you were okay. I mean, getting attacked by a hippogriff isn't a very fun thing to deal with. Good thing, though, Pansy has class while I have break, or otherwise I wouldn't have ever gotten in here. She doesn't seem to like me very much."_

"_Only because you said she looked like a dog."_

"_She called me the 'runt of the litter' and said that I 'wasn't welcome.' Did you really just expect me to stand by and let her talk about me?"_

_I smirked. "No, I suppose not."_

_Cree looked thoughtful, her head tilting slightly to the side. "You don't seem to like her very much."_

"_What makes you say that?"_

"_Oh, please. I see the way you cringe when she holds onto your arm and I know boys just _adore_ it when girls swoon all over them, but she doesn't swoon, Draco, she whines." Cree cleared her throat, giving me a puppy-dog look almost similar to Pansy's. " 'Oh, Draco, you're _oh so_ clever . . . Oh Draco, you're _oh so_ handsome . . . Oh Draco, Oh Draco_'."

_I couldn't help but laugh at her antics. She fluttered her eyes at me once before her face turned back to the one I liked, her normal face. "And that smile," she said, her lip curling up slightly._

"_What's wrong with her smile?"_

"_Nothing I suppose, if not for the fact that it's just so . . . sickly sweet, like spoiled sugar."_

"_Well, maybe if you smiled more you wouldn't complain about other people's smiles."_

_She smiled then, a bright, breathtaking smile. "I smile, but only for certain people."_

"_Me included?" I asked, her smile slightly contagious._

"_You mostly." The bell rang, signaling dinner. Cree got to her feet. "I better go before Pansy comes back and tries to hex me. Notice I said try."_

_She leaned forward and kissed me gently on the cheek. "Feel better, faker."_

_She hurried out of the hospital wing, leaving me with a crazy smile on my face. The place where she kissed me got hot._

* * *

Unconsciously, my hand reached up and touched my kiss where she'd kiss me years ago. I recalled how close we had been that soon after those four weeks and how she didn't even want to be in the same room with me anymore.

Surprising to me, that hurt.

I sat up in bed, incredibly upset for unknown reasons. A slight smile came to my face again as I recalled that first kiss. Cree has never been one for mushy, touchy, feely stuff, but when she was . . . . though we never got past kissing, those moments when we did kiss were worth my entire fortune.

Angrily, I threw myself back on my bed. She was a traitor. I hated her.

At least, I was _supposed_ to hate her.

But at least, just once, I wanted her to smile again. She had told me herself, she only smiled for me. And to be able to see such a rare smile and to be the cause of that was a privilege. It lit up the room, that smile. . . .

Merlin I was going insane.


	4. Enthralled

**Disclaimer: Not mine, unfortunately.**

**A/N: Hey people. Just wanted to say thanks again for the reviews and everything. Glad you guys enjoy!**

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_Fourth Year_

"_You look absolutely magnificent," my mirror told me as I studied myself and my dress robes._

"_Yes, I suppose I do, don't I," I said, smirking at my reflection. Checking myself over again, I headed up the stairs to the common room where I was supposed to be meeting Pansy for the Yule Ball. Oh joy._

_Of course, the Ball in general should be fun, though I'm still not sure how that foul Pothead got to be a Triwizard Champion. Always the one to grab the attention, isn't he?_

_The common room was hilariously empty . . . except for one person. She sat curled up in a chair near the green fireplace reading a book, her hair pulled up on top of her head in a messy ponytail. I watched, slightly entranced, as a strand of hair fell slowly down the side of her face, landing over her shoulder. Her fingers brushed gently across her cheek as she tucked the strand behind her ear._

_Grinning slightly, I snuck up behind her chair and plucked the book from her hands. "You'll ruin your eyes if you keep reading in the dark," I said, leaning against her chair._

"_There's nothing better to do," Cree said, looking up at me._

"_You haven't seen Pansy have you?"_

"_Last I heard, she was still upstairs getting ready for the dance."_

"_Why aren't you down at the dance?"_

"_You're kidding right? I'm only a second year."_

"_Oh, right." We both stared into the fire for a moment, caught in different thoughts I suppose. My eyes drifted down to her, admiring the light against her skin. It always amazed me how mature she was. Nothing like normal second years. "Would you like to go to the dance?"_

"_I can't unless a fourth year takes me," she said, shaking her head._

"_Then I'll take you." She looked up at me, her dark eyes wide and her brow slightly furrowed. "Aren't you going with Pansy?"_

_I rolled my eyes. "Pansy's a fourth year, she can take herself. You, as you stated, can only go if a fourth year takes you. So, I'll take you."_

_Cree looked away from but I could see her cheeks get slightly flushed, a small smile appearing on her face. "I don't even have a dress robe to wear."_

"_Oh come off it. Your mom's just as popular at the Ministry as my dad. I have no doubt that she heard about the Tournament and bought you dress robes just in case."_

"_I don't know –"_

"_Do you want to go with me or not?"_

_She bit her lip slightly, trying to hide her wide grin. "Fine . . . but only because you won't stop bugging me about it."_

_She jumped up and rushed down the stairs to her dormitory. I chuckled, sitting down in her now occupied chair. It was then that I asked myself if this technically constituted as a date, since it was technically still at our school. And plus that, wasn't I just doing her a favor, getting her in? I mean, I didn't have to dance with her or nothing, did it? _

_Ten minutes or so later I heard her footfalls on the stairs as she called out, "Okay, I'm ready."_

_I stood saying, "That was –"_

_The word froze in my throat as she approached me. She was unnaturally gorgeous for a twelve-year-old. She wore a midnight blue medieval style dress, her hair pulled up into a half bun with the rest cascading down her back, a string of pearls in her hair. No makeup or anything else. Just the dress and her hair and I don't believe I've ever seen anyone more beautiful._

"—_quick," I finished, feeling slightly breathless. _

"_Yeah, well, the benefits of having magic, you know?" she said. "I don't believe that Pansy has grasped that concept yet."_

"_What concept?" Pansy said, appearing behind her._

"_The concept of taking less than a millennium to get ready for a four hour ball," Cree said, smiling sweetly. "Don't worry, Pansy, darling, you'll get the hang of it soon enough."_

_Pansy smirked at her. "Well, if you'll excuse us, Draco and I are running fashionably late for the Yule Ball. Don't worry, Cree, darling, I'll be sure to leave your night light on when I pass your room."_

"_You don't have to trouble yourself with that, Parkinson."_

"_And why is that?"_

"_I've invited her to attend the ball with us," I replied quickly. _

_For the first time since Pansy entered the common room, she realized how Cree was dressed. She grimaced slightly. "I hope that's not a problem," I continued, smirking slightly._

_Pansy turned to me, a forced smile on her face. "No, not at all, Draco dear."_

_I held out my arms to both girls. "Ready, ladies?"_

_Cree elegantly took my right arm while Pansy possessively took my left. Cree cocked her head slightly and gave me a sly smile before looking straight forward. I suppose Pansy noticed because her grip on my arm became tighter. _

_Holding back my grin, I escorted the girls down to the ball._

* * *

I smiled slightly at the girl sitting across from me on a small couch, a book in her hands, her feet curled underneath her, and her hair tied up on top of her head in a mess ponytail. Pansy had had a good reason to be jealous.

It had been a couple of weeks now and every so often, Cree and I ended up in the same room with out an argument or biting glares. In fact, we had been quite civil to each other and she never locked herself in her room again.

"I don't believe I ever asked you," I said, breaking the silence. "Did you have fun at the Yule Ball that year?"

She looked up at me, slightly surprised. A small smirk appeared on her face as she closed her book. "I suppose I did. I had a rather good time . . . making Pansy squirm that is."

I couldn't hide the smile on my face as I said, "She wasn't all bad, you know?"

"You only put up with her because she always did anything you wanted her to do. . . . But as I was saying, I did have fun. . . . Do you regret asking me?"

I hesitated, thinking of all we'd been through up to that point in my fourth year. I looked into her dark eyes and she stared back at me and I said, "No."

She nodded, going back to her book. I smiled to myself this time, turning back to my own book. No matter how much I didn't like her at the moment, I don't think I'd ever regret any of our time together.


	5. Shaken

**Disclaimer: Not mine, unfortunately.**

**A/N: So I'm loving the reviews I've been getting. You are all the bee's knees! Luv you all so much.**

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_Fifth year_

"_Knut for your thoughts, Shadow?" I said, dropping into the chair across from Cree. "Wait . . . are you okay?"_

_I leaned towards her, noticing how she looked slightly clammy. She clutched her left hand in her right, sort of leaning over it. And she looked angry._

_It was a rare occasion for Cree to be angry. Sure, she often got miffed by Pansy but she was never incredibly angry. But when she was, it was like a lightening storm, fast and furious._

"_That woman, our _Headmistress,_ is a toad," she said, sitting up slightly. "An absolute hideous, awful, foul, despicable, slimy –"_

"_I take it you don't like Umbridge," I said._

"_Honestly, I think I liked Dumbledore better."_

"_Don't let anyone else here you say that. So why don't you like her?"_

"_I told you. She's an absolute hideous, awful –"_

"_I heard all that Cree. But why are you so angry with her?"_

"_Because she absolutely refuses to teach us anything. And today, she decided to patronize me for not being able to understand the basics and how I must be the slowest third year in her classes. I got so angry, so I'm not exactly sure what I said. Something along the lines of her being an absolute hideous, awful, foul, despicable, slimy toad. She gave me detention."_

"_Well, what did you expect her to do? Give you candy?"_

_She flashed me a dangerous glare. "Do you know what she does in her detentions Draco?"_

"_No. I've never been in her detentions."_

"_Well, look for yourself." She held out her left hand to me, angrily. Scratched, no, carved into her hand were the words 'I must not talk back.' Blood ran down her arm, almost dripping and soaking the napkins she had been using._

_I cursed under my breath, pulling a handkerchief from my pocket and wrapping it around her hand and wiping away the blood. Her hand trembled visibly._

"_She's a psychotic witch, Draco," Cree said. "And she doesn't know anything. I actually learned more from Potter in two weeks than I had ever learned from her."_

_I almost dropped her hand. I looked up at her, slightly mortified. "You were in that stupid Dumbledore's army?"_

"_So what if I was?"_

"_Cree, Dumbledore started that thing so they could fight the Dark Lord!"_

"_I wasn't thinking about fighting anyone! I just wanted to learn, okay? Because that stupid woman wasn't teaching us anything. And don't say that you liked her classes because they were hell and you know it."_

_We were silent for a moment. I wiped away the rest of the blood from her hand, using my wand to clean my handkerchief and wrap it around her hand again. She was still shaking so I covered her hand with both my hands. I looked up to see a stray tear slide down her cheek. I wiped it away too, letting my fingers stray across her cheek._

_She looked away from me, withdrawing her hand from mine and sitting back in her chair. "I'm sorry."_

"_Me too." I gave her a small smile but she didn't return it. Instead, she stood, heading towards her dormitory. _

"_Cree?" I said._

_She turned, clutching her hand to her chest. I stood and approached her. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, I said, "I'm – I'm always here to help you, Cree. You know that right? You've just . . . can't be afraid to ask for it."_

_She nodded, finally giving me her rare smile before heading down to her room. _

* * *

I think it was then that I realized she was still a kid. Just thirteen years old and still very impressionable. But then again, I suppose you can be impressionable at any age, considering she was fifteen when she decided to betray us.

I don't think I'd ever seen her so scared before, so shaken.

Well, at least until today.

"You could have left me at the house you know," she complained, tugging on her blond hair. "It's not like I would have ran away."

"You seem to assume that I trust you," I told her.

We stood outside my old home, Malfoy Manor. Though no one lived here, it was not unusual to find the random former Death Eaters here for what they liked to call parties (which usually constituted torturing if they could get away from it).

I turned to Cree who had her arms crossed angrily. "I have to pick some things up," I said. "Listen to me, Cree. From this point on, your name is Samantha, all right? Don't speak when others are around and stay near me at all times."

I offered my arm to her. She hesitated before taking. My heart jumped unexpectedly, which made me angry. I ignored it and led her inside the Manor.

"Hey Malfoy," Theodore Nott said, grinning as he placed his feet on the living room table. I looked on in slight disgust. "Who's the new bird?"

"None of your business, Nott," I said, smirking at him. "Never will be. . . . Who've you brought in today?"

"Don't know, don't really care. Probably just another Mudblood or an unsuspecting Muggle."

Cree's arm tightened slightly on mine, most likely in anger. I smirked at Nott before I lead Cree towards the West wing were my room was located.

" 'New bird'?" Cree asked, her arm slipping from mine once we'd gotten out of sight of Nott. "How many other 'birds' have you brought here?"

"Do I detect jealousy?" I asked.

"Ugh, of course not," she said, sounding slightly distant. "I just wonder how many sluts you've had hanging around is all."

"Would it bother you if I said it was a lot?"

She didn't respond. "Samantha?" I said, turning. She wasn't there.

I heard screams and I headed towards them, having a pretty good idea where she was at the moment.

Soon I reached the stairs that led down to the basement, or as father had called it, the dungeon. I hurried down those stairs to find Cree standing at the bottom, her mouth and eyes wide with terror. In front of us, a young boy was laying on the floor, a couple of former Death Eaters were laughing and beating him. One pulled his wand from his pocket and used the Cruciatus curse on him.

I grabbed Cree's wrist, trying to pull her but she wouldn't budge.

"Get up, scum!" the Death Eater with the wand said. The boy struggled and was on his knees when the Death Eater kicked him in the stomach.

Cree rushed back up the stairs and I followed after her. I found her a little ways down the hall, her head and hands pressed up against the wall.

"Cree," I started.

"That's horrible," she said, her voice hoarse. She turned to me, looking as if she were going to be sick. "That's absolutely horrible. Don't – please, don't tell me you enjoy watching that, participating in that. You might, but I really don't want to know if you actually do. I'm asking you though to tell me that you don't, because I'm not staying with you, no matter what you say."

She stood up straight, looking dignified in a terrified sort of way. I approached her, tucking a strand of blond hair. "I don't participate and I don't like watching," I told her truthfully.

She nodded. "I don't want to be here anymore," she said.

I nodded this time, offering her my arm again. She took it, no hesitation this time, and I led her out and away from the Manor. I'd have to come back for my stuff later on.


	6. Jealousy

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

**A/N: I really appreciate all of the wonderful reviews I've gotten. You guys are the greatest. P.S., spoilers to HP six, just in case. I meant to put that in the last chapter for the fifth book too but I forgot, sorry. Enjoy.**

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_Sixth Year_

"_I can't believe I let you drag me out here. I've work to do and you know it."_

_Cree clutched onto my gloved hand tightly, dragging me through Hogsmeade, through the God-forsaken snow. But I let her. Some tough guy I was huh? Letting a fourteen-year-old girl take charge of me._

"_You're stressed out," Cree answered, pushing open the door to the Three Broomsticks. "You hardly eat any more, you're paler than usual, and you're always sneaking around or stuck up in your room."_

"_You understand what I'm doing, Cree," I said, angrily. "I'm a busy man at the moment."_

_She shot me a look as she went to go retrieve butterbeers for the both of us. I sighed, plopping down in my seat. She understood, all right, but she would never talk about it with me. She didn't agree with what I was doing, I knew, but there was nothing much I could do about it._

_And now, here I was in Hogsmeade, a mere month after the necklace incident with that stupid Gryffindor Chaser. Why did Gryffindor's always have to ruin everything?_

_Cree reappeared, handing me a butterbeer. She sipped daintily on hers while I practically inhaled mine down. I let out a deep sigh when I was finished, setting down the bottle. "Can we go now?" I asked._

_She didn't answer me until after she'd finished her own drink and slipped her dark green gloves back on her hands. She looked at me, startlingly angry. "You, Draco Malfoy, are going to stay here with me at Hogsmeade and enjoy the day before you fall apart. This stupid . . . 'mission' is driving you insane and I'm not about to just sit idly by and watch you work yourself to death. Do you understand me?"_

_I stared at her slightly amazed and slightly angry. I was about to tell her off but she didn't give me a chance. She looked out the window, a beautiful smile coming to her face. "It's snowing again. Come on, let's head out."_

_She grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the bar into the snow. She spun around, the snow falling on her smiling face. I watched her, more amazed than angry now, slightly jealous, wishing I could enjoy something as trivial as the snow as much as she was. Wishing I could enjoy that smile on her face._

* * *

It was this smile now that I kept my eyes on, slightly annoyed with this girl. "I can't believe I let you drag me out here," I told her.

Her smile didn't falter though. "Just because your intent on turning me into a hermit doesn't mean I'll let you. There are people who are actually worrying about me at this moment, seeing as how you've kept me secluded for nearly a month, and I want to quell the fears. You didn't have to come."

"Of course I had to come, especially since you insisted on not disguising yourself and just wearing that stupid hat."

"As you said yourself, it was a disgusting disguise. Blond is unfortunately not my color." She held out her arm to me this time and I took it, still angry.

She Apparated.

* * *

Cree knocked on the door of 12 Grimmuald place, that same smile on her face. I wondered who on earth she knew that lived here.

Unfortunately, the answer I got wasn't one I would have chosen as a last resort.

"Hello, Harry," she said, happily.

Potter seemed shocked beyond belief. But the shock soon left his face, replaced by a look of pure happiness. His arms slipped around her waist as he lifted her off her feet in a joyous hug and she smiled and laughed.

It was then that I felt utterly and completely disgusted. Not to mention incredibly furious. I stared at this ugly display of affection and at her wide smile.

Her smile.

She said she only smiled for me. . . .

I was jealous.

The fact hit me hard and fast. I, Draco Malfoy, the guy who'd always gotten what he wanted was jealous of Harry Potter, the guy who had nothing. I was jealous because, even after close to almost seven years of us being friends, she hated me and glared at me every second she could and here Potter was after two seconds, getting the pleasure of having her smile directed at him.

Potter pulled her inside the house, leaving the door open. Angrily, I followed them in, not really caring about no invitation.

Standing in the foyer, I could hear happy voices, some almost shrill. Potter was almost shouting with joy and in between his shouts I could just make Granger and Weasley's voices. I dared not move any further into this house, which almost seemed slightly drab and dark for Potter's taste. I suppose I was expecting a whole bunch of red and gold for Potter's house.

I think I stood in that foyer for at least ten minutes before Cree and Potter came back out . . . holding hands. Potter's words stopped quickly enough at the sight of me but I couldn't move my eyes from their clasped hands.

"What are you doing here?" Potter asked, his words dripping with disgust.

Finally, I was able to raise my eyes locking with Cree's. "We need to leave," I said.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" Potter asked again. I was surprised his little sidekicks hadn't come to check up on him by now.

"Of course you didn't notice me before, seeing as how you were so caught up in Miss Cranton's presence. But I suppose it is my duty to inform you that Cree is under my charge at the moment."

Potter turned to Cree, eyes wide with suspicion. "Is he forcing you to –?"

"No, of course not," Cree said. "I'm staying with him willing."

I suppose that was partly true. Though, I had expressed my reasons for having her stay with me, she was welcome to leave at any moment. But she hadn't. . . .

A smirk came to my face.

At least until she stood on her toes and kissed Harry firmly on the cheek. "I promise to make my visits less sparse, Harry. Until next time."

She smiled at him, tugging on my sleeve to make me walk, breaking the little stare down Potter and I had been competing in.

"Can we go home now?" I asked, still angry.

"Not just yet. I have one more errand to run."

* * *

Cree knocked on the door of a large mansion, a smile, a smaller smile on her face. I watched, apprehensively, knowing what would come of this but not knowing how to keep her from doing it.

The door opened. A man stood there, the same dark hair and same dark, but angrier, eyes as Cree. Those eyes widened in shocked anger at the girl standing in front of him.

"Hi, daddy," Cree said. "Is mum home too?"

He slammed the door in her face.

I was watching all of this from behind her, but I still saw Cree jerk back as the door slammed. She stood there for a long time, her hands and arms limp at her sides. When she finally moved, it was to reach into her pocket to pull out a roll of parchment, which she slipped underneath the door before turning back to me.

Her eyes shown with unshed tears as she slowly walked down the steps of the porch. For a second, a millisecond, I felt as if she got what she deserved for the whole incident with Potter and then I felt bad for that, incredibly bad.

"We, uh, we can go home now," she said.

I took her hand gently, comfortingly, pulling her too me. She gave me a small smile which I returned.

I Apparated.


	7. Love

**Disclaimer: I've no claims of Harry Potter or it's characters which is why I'm disclaiming it. Sorry.**

**A/N: So I'm hilariously glad you guys like this story. My heart goes all aflutter whenever I get a review from you guys. Thanks so much. P.S. Spoilers in this again, HP six. P.S.S., there's a bit of fluff. Well, i don't call it fluff, but you might. Enjoy.**

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_I stood staring into the fireplace, feeling slightly nauseas. Tonight was the night. I'd already contacted the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters and I'd . . . I'd have to . . . _kill

_I pressed my head onto the cold mantle, my breath catching in my throat. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to do this. Sure I was confident before but . . . but now that I realized what I actually had to do and after the failed attempts. . . . How could I be sure that after I failed the last two times, that I wouldn't fail this time?_

"_Don't do it." I turned to see Cree standing in front of the stairs to her dormitory. It took me a moment to realize how distressed she was. She twisted her long hair in her hands and tears dripped down her face. "Don't go through with this."_

"_You know I can't just say no, Cree," I said, trying to not sound angry. "He'll kill me."_

"_Than – than ask Dumbledore for help, Draco," she said, coming towards me._

"_Yeah, I'll do that right after I kill him."_

"_I'm serious Draco. You know he'll help you. You know he'll keep Voldemort from coming after you and your family. It's just – this whole thing is so insane! You either fail miserably, get caught, and it up in Azkaban or you actually manage to kill Dumbledore –"_

"_Well you keep your voice down?" I said, grabbing her arm._

"—_and then you feel miserable for the rest of your life," she finished in a harsh whisper. "Do you actually think you'll actually be able to kill Dumbledore?"_

"_I have to try, Cree!" I whispered. I held onto her by her shoulders, tears threatening to fall through my own eyes. I wasn't about to cry, not again, not in front of her. "I have to try or He'll kill me for giving up! And I just can't – I can't –"_

"_I'm scared, Draco! I'm scared that you're going to die no matter what you do and I – I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you."_

_She looked away, wiping the tears away off her face. I hesitated slightly before my heads lifted to cup her face. I ran my thumbs underneath her eyes, wiping away the tears that were still coming. "I'll be fine, Shadow. And – and it's not like we won't see each other again. You'll be at the 'camp' soon enough, you know."_

_She looked up at me, her eyes still bright with tears. I kissed her lightly on the forehead. My eyes dropped down to her lips, which were trembling slightly and then I kissed her._

_Wow. I didn't even know what else to think. My mind went rather blank when I felt her lips against mine, her fingers splayed out against my chest. . . . She tasted like strawberries. Sweet, wonderful strawberries. My hands slid from her face to behind her neck, my fingers tangled gently in her hair. I don't think I'd ever had a kiss like this before. I was in a state of euphoria._

_It was the sound of footsteps on the staircase that broke us apart. Cree moved slightly away from me while I settled myself back near the fireplace. Some second year walked quickly through the common room sending me and Cree a glance. I kept my eyes on Cree though, the way her lips were slightly swollen from our kiss, the way her cheeks were flushed, and how she seemed short of breath. I felt exactly the same way._

_When the second year had gone, Cree approached me again, placing a light kiss on my lips. I was about to grab her and kiss her again but she moved away, still looking sad. "Just be careful, Draco," she said._

_She dragged her fingers through her hair once before walking back down to her room. I stared after her for a moment before I grabbed my cloak and headed for the dungeons._

* * *

Cree was feeling restless today. I found her in the kitchen with Binky and Twinkles, pulling out ingredients and things to make cookies. Binky and Twinkles looked positively nervous when I stepped into the kitchen, watching Cree apprehensively as she read through the instructions. 

"Miss, are you sure we can't be of assistance to you, miss?" Binky said.

"No, I think I've got it, Binky," Cree said, waving her hand in dismissal. "It'll be lovely if you could show me how to turn on the oven."

Twinkles reached over and turned the knob that turned on the stone. "Miss, are you sure –?"

"Why don't you and Binky take a break?" I said to the confused house-elves. "I'm sure Miss Cranton and I can handle ourselves in here."

Cree looked at me confused while the house-elves bowed, leaving the kitchen. I shook my head. "What on earth are you doing Cree?"

"I'm baking cookies obviously," she said, turning back to the instructions. " 'Three-fourths cup flour'. Well, that's silly. Why waste time measuring?"

"Cree, what are you –? No, Cree, wait!"

* * *

A half an hour later, two dozen cookies sat in the oven baking while Cree sat on the counter and I stood across from her, both of us covered in flour. 

But Cree looked positively happy. "I've never made anything before. Hermione tried to teach me once but, as you can see," she said, indicating the white powder in her black hair, "I'm not at all patient."

The use of Granger's name brought up a slightly awkward air. Cree looked away from me, choosing to stare at the oven instead, but I continued to stare at her. "When did you decide to – you know –?" I asked.

She looked at me, a sad look in her dark orbs. She sighed. "It was the summer before fifth year, I think. Some time after your . . . mission. . . . Mother was fixing my hair for a party, saying how grown up I was and how she believed I would make a fine Death Eater. She kept going on about how she'd rather me be a Death Eater than a Death Eater's house wife, though she had big plans for you and me."

I bit back the smirk that threaten to come to my face. "Go on."

"Well, after she'd left the room, I sat there for a while thinking. I realized I was only fifteen and there was so much more time before me and yet . . . everyone else was planning my life out. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized I didn't want either of the paths my mum had laid out for me. . . . Well, the marrying you part might not have been so bad." She smirked at me and I couldn't help but smirk back slightly.

"Then what happened?" I asked.

"Well, seeing as how you were gone from Hogwarts and how I'd always been dubbed your 'Shadow', they made me the 'Slytherin Princess'. Of course, Pansy never did like how many thought I'd run off like you did and we'd meet and be the most fantastic Death Eater couple the wizarding world has ever know and to tell the truth, neither did I, once again, except for the couple part."

"I have a feeling you're trying to tell me something."

"I might be."

"What happened after that?"

"Seriously? It just sort of happened," she said, her eyes never once straying from mine. "Me switching sides i mean. I woke up one morning and I realized that everything we did, the torture, the killing, was wrong. And so, I asked Harry for help."

"You betrayed us," I said.

She nodded. "I did. But, Draco, I'll admit to you that there wasn't a moment in which I thought about what I was doing. I was so conflicted at one point that I got horribly sick and couldn't eat for almost three days. I came out of that sickness as the same person I'd always been, but I understood things. I understood why Voldemort had to go down."

She looked away, that same sad look in her eyes. "I always thought about you a lot too. I wondered how my switching sides would affect you or if maybe I could get you to see right from wrong. . . . I wondered if you would hate me afterwards. I suppose the later was right."

I pushed myself off the counter, taking a step towards her. "I don't hate you, Cree."

Her eyes snapped towards mine, watching me approach. "What?"

"Yeah, I was angry. Hell, I was damn right pissed off. Seriously? I was hurt." I was standing in front of her now, my hands placed on either side of the counter, my eyes on her eyes. "I think it was because we'd always used to be able to tell each other everything, but you kept this from me and . . . I don't know. I thought for a moment that I hated you, especially while I was in Azkaban and when I saw you in the Diagon Alley a couple of months ago. But I don't. I really don't hate you."

"I didn't tell you because I was afraid how you'd react to the whole situation."

"Were you afraid that I'd give you up to Voldemort or something?"

"Of course not. I know you'd never do that."

We were incredibly close now, me standing in between her legs while she leaned slightly forward. My gaze slid down to her lips before moving back up to her eyes. "Are you afraid now?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"No, not really," she said, though I just barely heard her.

"Good." I captured her lips with mine. I felt as if I were back in my sixth year, except this time she tasted like cookie dough. My arms wrapped around her waist, my hands clutching the back of her shirt while her hands slid across my face and into my hair, tugging on it lightly. My lungs begged for the breath I hadn't taken but I ignored it, favoring this kiss over oxygen.

It was the over buzzer that broke us apart this time. Cree pushed me away lightly, sliding off the counter. I grabbed her arm. "Let them burn," I said, eyeing her lips again.

She rolled her eyes. "If I let them burn, so does your house."

I leaned against the counter, watching her, not quite sure what I was feeling. I wasn't used to this kind of thing. It was absurd.

But I suppose most referred to it as the 'L' word.

* * *

**A/N: So, that's that chapter. Seriously, I really hope you all know what the 'L' word is.**


	8. Anger

**Disclaimer: Only because I have no money at all to pay any kind of law suit.**

**A/N: Thanks to all who've reviewed. You guys are fantastic! Anyway, just want to say unless I write another chapter today (which will be a great possibility), there won't be an update until at least Monday afternoon seeing as how the actual Harry Potter book comes out Saturday (oh joy!) and I will be busy reading with unadulterated excitement. Anyway, enjoy while you read.**

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_The Final Battle_

_I held onto Cree's hand tightly as the Death Eaters scattered. The Order of the Phoenix had arrived, unannounced of course, surprising even the Dark Lord himself. We had stayed to fight for a while, but the battle became overwhelming and many of us fled. I wanted to get Cree out of there._

_Someone was behind us. I could hear them pushing through the leaves behind us. Cree stumbled and fell, crying out. She had been wounded, back in the beginning when a Death Eater's spell missed an Order member and hit her. "Come on, Cree, we're almost out," I said, lifting her to her feet._

_We continued to run, my arm around her waist as we stumbled through, finally breaking past the trees into an open field. There was no source of shelter in sight. And I was scared. Nineteen years old and I was either about to die or end up in Azkaban. And that would lead to taking Cree down with me, which is something I definitely didn't want. '_

_I didn't mind admitting to myself that I was scared. It takes a brave man to admit that he's scared. But I wouldn't, I couldn't let Cree see I was scared. "We'll Apparate, all right?" I told Cree, who had stumbled a ways away from me. "Can you hang onto me?"_

"_I think –" She murmured._

_But it was too late. We turned as our pursuer burst through the trees behind us. "You!" I cried, angrily._

_Harry Potter nodded, stepping forward. "Me," he said grimly._

_We both had our wands out, aimed for fighting. Potter came closer, his mouth set in a almost hysterical grim line. His eyes moved from me to Cree. He nodded once again, his wand dropping and his free arm lifting, his hand out._

_No doubt I was thoroughly confused about this turn of events. My head turned slowly towards Cree, who was looking horribly quietly. Almost as if in slow motion, she walked to me, kissing me on my cheek. "I'm sorry," she said._

_I watched as she walked away from me, towards Potter. Her small hand slid into his and he pulled her against his side. They Apparated._

_I couldn't move for shock and an almost incredible thing happened. . . . _

_My heart broke. _

_It was almost like I could feel it. The pain was almost unbearable. And that's when the anger sit in, hardening and taking away the pain._

_She left me._

_And I let her go._

* * *

It was with these thoughts that I woke up with the next morning. And it was these thoughts that kept me incredibly angry all day and I couldn't shake that anger, even after our kiss yesterday.

And when I saw her, her and her accursed smile, that anger got worse.

She noticed at first, and didn't say anything for most of the day, though I was cold-hearted to her every time my mouth opened.

Finally she had enough. It was just after and we sat in the living room, a book in both our hands, mine mostly as a way to keep me from saying something we'd both regret but then she spoke.

"What's your problem today?" she said, sounding miffed. I looked up at her. Her eyes flashed dangerously and I could almost feel the angry heat emitting off of her.

"I have no problem," I said as calm as I possibly could. What right did she have to be angry with me? "It would seem, you're the only one with the problem in this room."

"_I_ have a problem?" She was incredulous. "I'm not the whose been walking around here like I've got ice on my shoulder. . . . Yesterday you were fine."

"Yeah, well that was yesterday." I closed my book and stood to my feet, intent on going to my room and locking myself in.

But she followed me. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Did you do something wrong? Oh just let me think about that, Cree. Let's see . . . you abandoned your family, betrayed the people who trusted you. . . ."

"Are you on about that now? I told you what happened. I thought you understood."

"How can you possibly think I understood your need for betrayal?"

"It wasn't supposed to be meant as a betrayal, Draco! I did what I had to do to protect the people I care about!"

"Apparently the people you care about are Potter, Weasley, and Mudblood Granger, because whatever you thought you were doing didn't help me!"

"You're kidding me right? Draco, if Voldemort hadn't of died eventually, everyone would have been killed! Do you really think he would have set you aside? One little foot out of place and his wand would have been in your face before you can say '_Protego_'!"

"You would have been safe if you'd just followed him! Instead, you sold us all out because you were scared!"

"Scared? _Scared!?_ I risked my life, day and night working for the Order, working for the better cause! You want to see scared Draco? Go to your room and look in the mirror! Scared doesn't describe a single thing I did! Scared is not knowing when to make the right choices! Scared is hiding behind someone bigger than yourself! So don't get made at me because I asked for help! Don't get made at me because you were to scared to do in your sixth year what I did in my fifth, you lousy coward!"

I slapped her.

I hadn't meant for it to happen, really. My hand moved as if it had it's own mind, backhanding her across her cheek.

I had been fuming, I won't deny it, but I would never, I could never hit a woman, especially not this woman. That was something my father did. Something I had often seen him do to mother. That – that wasn't me.

Cree's head had snapped to the side from the force of my blow, her long black hair swinging over to hide her face. She stayed like that for a long time, both of us probably in a horrible state of shock.

When she finally did look at me, her eyes shining from fear and anger. I could see the imprint of my hand, red and full on her cheek.

I reached for her but she jerked away from me, her breath coming out in short, rapid gasps. She spun on her heel and ran up the stairs. I called her name, going after her.

The door slammed in my face when I reached it. I knocked. "Cree, please! I didn't mean to! You know I didn't! Please, come out!"

Five minutes or so later, the door was flung open and Cree pushed past me. I noticed the duffel bag on her shoulder.

"Where are you going?" I asked, following her down the stairs.

"I'm leaving," she said, not exactly answering my question. Her voice was thick with unshed tears. "You obviously don't want me here, so I'll just go."

"No, Cree, I –" I hated begging. "Please, don't go – Cree, would you just listen to me?"

I grabbed her arm. She spun around, her wand pressing into my neck. Her eyes were fierce and cheeks were slightly flushed, making the handprint stand out slightly. "Don't you ever touch me again, Draco Malfoy," she said, her voice low and threatening. "If you do, I will not hesitate to hex you into the pits of oblivion."

She pointed her wand at the door, opening it and backing away from me. "Don't come after me."

She left me.

And I let her go.

Again.


	9. Worry

**Disclaimer: Not mine, unfortunately.**

**A/N: So was the last book smashing or what? I'm horribly sad that our beloved Harry Potter has come to an end. Sorry to all those people who loved spending the night in front of the bookstores. Anyway, sorry that it took me so long to update. I've been out of time and trying to pack for school but here's the update to everyone's favorite story. Thanks for reading.**

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_Fourth year_

_It was a couple of days after the Yule Ball that I was strolling down the hallways searching for Cree. She was going to meet me in the common room but when she didn't show up I couldn't help but get worried. Pansy had been incredibly . . . vicious since I had taken them both to the Dance. The common room was never quiet any more when they were both in there, Pansy's harsh insults and Cree's quick comebacks flying across the room every ten seconds. It was rather amusing at times._

_But like I said, Pansy was vicious when she wanted to be. She played dirty and wasn't ashamed of it. And when she got that way . . . let's just say it was something to be afraid of._

_That day, I suppose it had been a good idea for me to go looking for Cree._

_As I walked down the steps towards the Entrance Hall, I came across a large crowd, cheering and jumping around, a lot of the Slytherins. But there all the cheering, I could here two girls screaming and what sounded like clothes ripping. _

_I hurried forward, pushing and glaring at people to make them move out of my way. Of course, who do I find in the middle of that huge crowd? Cree and Pansy (as if you actually needed the answer). _

_Both girls had since disregarded their robes. Pansy sported a bloody lip, a brushed cheek, and a tear in her skirt. Cree, on the other hand, had a black eye, large scratches down the side of her face, and her shirt was ripped. _

_Pansy knocked Cree down hard, jumping to her feet to pull out her wand. I could see an Unforgivable Curse forming on her tongue as she pointed her wand at Cree's heart. Pulling out my own wand, I disarmed her. _

_Pansy looked up at me, a guilty look on her face. I glanced at Cree to see her still glaring murder at the other girl. Walking over, I grabbed Cree and pulled her to her feet._

"_Lucky Draco got here," Pansy said to Cree, angrily wiping blood from her lip._

"_Yeah, lucky for you!" Cree said. I grabbed tighter onto her because she felt as if she was going to run at Pansy again. "You may be older than me, Parkinson, but I'm better than you an every way possible! And I can still kick your arse five ways till Sunday, with or without your bloody wand!"_

"_What on earth is going on here?" came McGonagall's shrill voice._

_The crowd scattered, including Pansy. I pulled Cree down the hallway, heading for the dungeons. _

* * *

"_What in Merlin's name is your problem?" I said as Cree plopped down into an armchair, her arms folded across her chest. She glared away from me, into the fireplace. "Why did you go and start a fight with Pansy?"_

"_I didn't start a fight with her, she started it with me!" Cree said, switching her glare to me. "I was using self-defense! You didn't see _me_ pull _my _wand on _her_, did you? I wasn't about to just sit there and let her beat me up!"_

"_You knew Pansy would go after you, Cree! Why didn't you just walk away?"_

"_I did walk away! And she threw a shoe at my head!"_

_I shook my head, feeling angry. "What did you say to her that made her challenge you like that?"_

"_Why does it have to be that I said something to her? I was minding my own business, coming down here to meet you when she stepped in front of me. She told me to stay away from you, that you were _hers_. And I told her that first off, she wasn't my mum and second off, you didn't belong to anyone so she needed get her head out of the clouds and stop daydreaming about you because it was never going to happen. She told me I needed to be careful about how I talked to certain people because it would get me into a lot of trouble. That's when I walked away and I said that yeah, whatever I'd keep that in mind and she threw her shoe at my head! I didn't start anything, Draco! It isn't my fault that that stupid girl has been having fantasies about you since your first year and can't get her head out of her arse enough to see that you don't like her! So don't go blaming it on me that you managed to get hit on by the craziest girl in the history of forever!"_

_Cree had been standing up, yelling and poking me in my chest with one slender finger. Now she plopped back down into the chair, her arms folded again, her gaze on the fireplace. Sighing, I pulled a handkerchief from my pocket, handing it to her as I sat down the couch next to her chair. "Here," I said._

_She glared at it for a moment before taking the napkin from me, wiping the blood from her cheek. When the blood was all gone, I turned her head towards me, examining the scratch and her black eye. "She got you pretty good."_

"_I got her better," she said, looking away from me again._

"_You okay?" I asked. She shrugged, still looking away from me. "Look, Cree, I'm sorry I got mad okay? I was just worried. . . . Ah, come on, Shadow, don't start throwing a temper tantrum on me. That's a Pansy sort of thing to do."_

_She finally looked at me. "I'm not going to throw a temper tantrum."_

"_Good. I don't think I'd be able to take it. . . . I can't believe you fought her like a Muggle."_

_Cree grinned. "I knew I could beat her like that. That lip's gonna take a minute to swell down."_

"_Same with that black eye of yours. And those cat scratches."_

"_But at least I don't have a swollen lip."_

_

* * *

_

I paced through my house, worried.

I couldn't eat. I couldn't sleep.

Where on earth would she have gone?

I'd checked Potter's place. She wasn't there.

I'd searched all through Diagon Alley. She wasn't there.

What if she was hurt? Or lost? Or . . . dead?

I couldn't believe I had slapped her! Why on earth was I so stupid? I punched the wall, my knuckles coming back, slightly bloody.

There was a knock on the door. She came back?

I rushed towards the door, pulling it open.

Blaise Zabini stood at my door, a huge grin on his face. "You'll never guess who we found wandering the streets."


	10. Pain

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, not mine.**

**A/N: So was the last book smashing or what? I'm horribly sad that our beloved Harry Potter has come to an end. Sorry to all those people who loved spending the night in front of the bookstores. Anyway, sorry that it took me so long to update. I've been out of town and trying to pack for school but here's the update to everyone's favorite story. Thanks for reading.**

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_Fifth Year_

_I walked over to Cree, who sat on a locker room bench, her eyes focused on the empty space in front of her and her hands clenching onto the handle of the broom that lay across her lap. She looked incredibly small in those gigantic Quidditch robes but they were the only ones we had had left._

_Sitting down next to her, I gently pried her hands off of the handle. When she looked up at me, confused, I smirked and said, "You're going to break the broom if you're not careful."_

"_I wasn't going to break it," she muttered angrily. "I'm just – I was just running over the plays in my head."_

"_It's okay to be nervous, Shadow. It's your first game but I really don't see why you're worried. It's Ravenclaw for Merlin's Sakes. They have no chance in this game. It's Gryffindor you need to worry about later." I held out my hand to her, giving her an encouraging yet challenging grin. "Now come on. . . . Unless you're too scared to go out there."_

_She shot her glare up at me, reaching up to grab my hand, squeezing it tightly. "I'm not scared."_

"_Good. Wouldn't expect you to be." Pulling her to her feet I pulled her over to the rest of the team._

_The game went okay at first. We were up seventy to ten which was mostly contributed to Cree to be brutally honest. She was good. Better than a lot of other Chasers we've had before. . . ._

_This is probably why the Ravenclaw Chasers and Beaters focused on her._

_It was incredibly hard for me to look for the Snitch when I kept worrying about Cree. She got fouled quite a lot, which wasn't at all fair seeing as how she was the fairest Slytherin player, I'm sure, anyone has ever seen. _

_During our time-out, Cree seemed just as worried as I had been. _

"_They're trying to take me out of the game, Draco," she said, practically panting. "I don't know how much more of this I'm going to be able to take."_

"_You're doing great, Shadow," I said, placing my hand on her shoulder. "Just keep up the good work."_

_We got back out there, the Ravenclaws still playing one of the most vicious games Hogwarts has ever seen. _

_It was when I spotted the Snitch that Cree got hit with a Bludger from the back and the front. _

_I watched in horror as Cree fell lifelessly from her broom, the Quaffle in her arms falling with her. Madam Hooch blew her whistle while Ravenclaw Chaser caught her by the arm, sliding her up onto his broom as he flew closer to the ground._

_My team was on the ground faster than you can say Quidditch. Crabbe pushed the Ravenclaw aside so that we could get to Cree._

"_Out of the way, out of the way," came the hurried drawl of Professor Snape. Madam Hooch kneeled down beside Cree._

"_Broken ribs," she said, pressing her hand to Cree's body, gently. "She needs medical attention right away."_

_Snape whipped out his wand, lifting Cree off the ground and rushing back towards the castle._

_Madam Hooch immediately jumped to her feet. "Foul! A despicable foul! I have all the gumption now to make Ravenclaw forfeit! Fifty points from Ravenclaw House for incredibly foul play!"_

_I felt a tap on my shoulder and I spun around. The Ravenclaw Captain stood behind me, a grim look on his face. "Look, I'm really sorry about your Chaser. I never told my Beaters to do that and it was completely unexpected on both parts. I apologize."_

_I was angry enough to kill but I kept my mouth, nodding my head before I walked away. He'd saved her life after all._

* * *

"_Hey," I said, slipping into the chair by Cree's bed. _

_She gave me a strained smile. "Hey. How the came come out?"_

_She was having trouble breathing, I could tell. I reached forward and took her hand in mine. "We won. But forget it right now. Are you all right?"_

_Cree looked away from me for a moment, taking in a deep labored breath. A stray tear fell across her cheek and down into her hair. "Madam Pomfrey says I will be but it doesn't feel like it. They thought for a moment that I'd have to go to St. Mungo's but I'm all – right."_

_She squeezed my hand tightly for a second before her grip loosened. "Sorry. It's the potion."_

_Using my other hand, I wiped away the tear track on her cheek. I didn't like seeing her in so much pain. It was terrifying and sad all at the same time._

"_You're going to be okay, Cree."_

* * *

I Apparated into the Manor, Blaise following after me, that crazy grin still on his face. I tried to keep my face stoic, tried not to show that I was scared out of mind. And I kept hoping desperately, telling myself that it wasn't her, she was somewhere else, but this wasn't her trapped in the Malfoy dungeons.

"I'll bet you'll be pleased," Blaise was saying. "Found her wandering around a couple days ago. Tried to fight back but we snapped her wand of course. She's a tough bint but I think you've all people should be able to break her down."

I followed Blaise down to the cellar, to the dungeons. No one was there. But I could see the wall of bars and inside the cell, a person was crouched up into a corner.

"I'll leave you alone. You have fun now." Blaise left, still smiling. I wanted to punch him so bad.

When he was gone, I slowly pushed open the cell door, casting a Silencing spell over the cell, walking over the person who sat unmoving in the corner.

It was Cree all right. Her arms were wrapped around her knees, her head down, and her long hair, now tangled and dull, fell around her in a black curtain.

"Cree," I said.

Her head jerked up and I stepped back slightly. Her face was bloody and had bruises where there wasn't blood. Her clothes, I could see now were torn in various places. It was horrible to think what all they might have done to her.

I began to move towards her but she pressed herself father into the corner, cringing away from me. I could see the tears falling down her face. "Please . . . don't . . ."

"Cree, I'm not going to hurt you," I told her, kneeling down in front of her. "Come on, Shadow, it's me."

"No," she said, sobbing, now. "You all want to kill me. . . . They – they told me you were going to kill me. . . . I don't want to die. Please, please don't kill me. . . . I'm sorry."

"Cree . . . Cree, listen to me. . . . Cree!" I grabbed her by her shoulders, trying my hardest not to shake her for fear of breaking her up more than she already was. "I'm not going to hurt you! I was never going to hurt you! I love you, Cree! And I realize Potter can probably give you a whole lot more than I could ever give you but I still love you, Cree! I always have. And I'm going to get you out of here, all right?"

She'd fallen silent, the fight gone from her. I pushed her hair out of her face, feeling stupid. Why had I just said all that? Because it was obvious she didn't feel the same way about me. I mean, I hadn't expected her to proclaim her love for me right then and there, but . . . I had been expecting her to do something.

"You've to trust me, okay?" I continued. "And you're going to have to do exactly what I say. Do you understand?"

She nodded, the tears still falling down her face.

"It's going to be all right. You're going to okay, Cree."


	11. Rekindled

**Disclaimer: Not Mine.**

**A/N: So I'm really, really sorry it's taken me so long to update. I've just moved into my dorm and everything so I'm been a little off centered. I hope you enjoy this chapter and hopefully, when my schedule gets a little bit more down packed I'll be able to update some more. Thank you.**

I carried Cree up the stairs, her lifeless body draped unceremoniously over my arms.

She wasn't breathing.

Blood dripped from her body.

I forced my face to be neutral, blank as I stepped up onto the landing, all the gleaming eyes of the Death Eaters on me. My stomach cringed as they began to cheer. I passed by them all, still staying blank.

"What are you going to do with the body?" someone asked.

I allowed a smirk to grace my features. "That's for me to know and for you to find out."

Blaise followed me to the door, still grinning. "Need help?" he asked.

"No, I'll handle it," I told him. "This is . . . this is just something I need to do by myself."

Blaise's grin fell and he gave me a very sympathetic look, clapping his hand onto my shoulder. "I understand. Go on. I'll keep the others back."

I nodded at him, moving to step out of the boundaries.

I Apparated.

As soon as I reached my house, I rushed to the couch, setting Cree down on it.

I pulled out my wand, pointing it at her heart. "_Revenerate_," I whispered.

Cree's back arched as she sucked in a great gasp of air. I lifted her up into a sitting position, rubbing her back. "I'm sorry," I said, as she coughed. "I'm so sorry."

When she stopped coughing, I pushed up the sleeves of her shirt to see how bad the damages were. There were bruises up and down her arms, a couple of red welts around her neck. Under her shirt, her stomach was almost scraped raw and bruised and her back looked as if she'd been whipped.

I did my best to make her wounds look better with potions and healing spells, but even if the dark colors faded and the welts appeared less swollen, she still had the marks, on her body and her heart. She flinched every time I reached for her, shivered though it wasn't cold.

I sighed, getting to my feet and offering my hand to her. "Why don't you go take a hot bath? It'll make you feel better."

She gave me a small smile, which I returned before I took her hand and pulled her to her feet. She let go and walked toward the stairs, slowly and apprehensively, peering into the darkness. I stepped toward her, wrapping my arm around her waist while I used my wand to turn on the lights.

"I'm not going to let anything hurt you, Shadow," I told her. She gazed at me for a moment before turning and making her way upstairs.

I sat back on the couch, wondering what on earth I could do to help Cree. It scared me how vulnerable she seemed at the moment. The presence she used to carry seemed diminished.

Feeling completely useless, I walked into the kitchen and pull out my wand again, waving it at the cupboards and the stove.

A moment later, Cree came back down the stairs, wearing a large robe and a smile.

"Feeling better?" I asked from the kitchen as she went to sit in front of the fire I had just stoked. She nodded, her hair falling forward in front of her face as she pulled her knees up to her chest.

I picked up a cup from the counter, carefully walking towards the fireplace. I handed Cree the cup and sat down next to her. She took a sip, closing her eyes as she did so. "Mmm, hot chocolate," she said, her voice soft and hoarse. "I needed this. Thank you."

"It's alright," I told her, leaning back on my hands. "I remembered you told me you didn't like coffee or tea. Lucky the house elves stock up."

We sat in silence while she drank her hot chocolate. I couldn't stop looking at her, I realized after I looked back to the fire for the seventh time. I took in the shine of her freshly washed hair, her eyes as the flames of the fire reflected off of them, her heart shape face, the perfect curve of her lips. . . .

"Did you really mean what you said?" I watched the words pour from those lips like honey, mesmerized. "Mmm?" I said.

She faced me, her head tilted slightly to the side. She lifted her hand hesitantly to brush back my hair from my eyes, her fingers lingering just at my temple before trailing down the side of my face and stopping on my mouth.

"Did you really mean what you said," she repeated. ". . . In the cellar."

I swallowed and took her hand in mine, kissing her palm. Holding her hand in both of mine, now, I stared down at it, unwilling to actually look at her. I'd almost forgotten all that I had said to her, had wanted to forget, had hoped _she_ had forgotten.

But as I glanced up, her haunting gaze was still on me.

"Yes. I did."

She was silent for a moment, her hand motionless in mine. "What on earth made you bring up Harry?" she asked suddenly.

My hand tightened slightly on hers before loosening. "I'm not sure, really. I just . . . I suppose that, starting your fifth year, I sort of felt you, slipping away from, though I must say you put on a good act. But still, some part of me realized that I was losing you. And then . . . to see you with Potter and how _happy_ you looked with him and I guess – I guess I just got – jealous."

The last word came out as a mumble. It was such a hard thing to admit. Harder, even, than telling her I loved her. Malfoys did not get jealous of anyone. I mean, we had it all! The money, the power. . . . What on earth was there to be jealous of?"

This, I realized as Cree moved forward and pressed her lips against mine, was what would make you jealous. This, I realized as my eyes closed and my heart sped up, was what would make you jealous. I wanted this all for myself. And nobody, not Potter, not anyone else was going to take this away from me.

My hands slipped to the back of her neck, holding her to me as she leaned into me, her hands clutching to the front of my shirt. I could taste the hot chocolate on her tongue and I smiled slightly. I moved my hands to her waist, pulling into my lap. She gasped into my mouth before laughing.

"You, Draco Malfoy, are one stupid guy," she said, breathlessly. "Harry's a friend. A really good friend but more like a brother than anything else. There isn't anyone, I mean anyone else I'd rather be forced to live with. You have nothing to be jealous about. Geez, it took you forever, really, to figure out you had an interest in me."

I laughed too, leaning my forehead against hers. "Nine years isn't too long, you know."

"No, I suppose not." She lifted my face, quickly, kissing me again. "And it was worth it."


	12. Should Have Known

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

**A/N: I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter. This is probably going to be the last installment of **_**Betrayal**_** and if not it is the second to the last. But do not fret my dears! There will be a sequel, though the name hasn't come to me yet. So along with the two other stories I will be writing, one entitled **_**Opposites Attract**_** and the other entitled **_**Forbidden**_**, I will be writing the sequel to Betrayal, possibly titled **_**Exposed**_**. Thank you so much for all your lovely reviews and for sticking with this story till the end. YOU'RE FANTASTIC!**

* * *

Cree lay next to me in my bed, afraid to sleep alone in her own room. One arm lay across my abdomen while her head rested comfortably on my shoulder. Her soft breath tickled my neck pleasingly and her fingers brushed ever so gently across my stomach every five minutes or so.

And I watched her. Couldn't keep my eyes off her actually. I let my fingers tangle up in her long black hair, let my lips brush across her eyelids each time her fingers brushed my stomach.

She moaned in her sleep softly, dreaming, I supposed, about what occurred in the Malfoy dungeons. I held her closer to me, enjoying the warmth of her body and the way she seemed to mold into me, soft curves against hard angles.

A man in love is a very dangerous thing.

I used to consider it a sickness, the way my breath caught in my throat, the way my hands would sweat, the way my heart would stop and then speed up so quickly it was almost painful. The way I got dizzy just thinking of her face, her smile, her kiss. . . .

I suppose I should have known I'd fall in love with Cree . . . should have known right then and there when after we met in the hallways of Hogwarts . . . should have realized the way she made me fell the first time she actually smiled at me.

And realizing that I had fallen for her all those years ago, my third year, her first, I knew it was too late to turn back now, too late to think about her betrayal or anything because even through all that, I had still loved her.

She was my soul mate, a part of me, and you can't just forget about a part of you especially if that part of you is your heart.

* * *

_Fifth year_

_I burst through the front doors of Hogwarts castle, sucking in a great gasp of air. _

_Who on earth knew one single female could be so absolutely suffocating? Every where I turned, there was Pansy. Pansy standing over my shoulder, Pansy standing next to me, Pansy trying to hold my hand, Pansy saying my name in that annoying little voice. . . . Can't a guy get a break?_

_I stumbled down the stone steps, feeling slightly dizzy with the fresh breath of air. I looked behind me, expecting to see Pansy come out after me, calling my name (or at least her version of it), "Drakie-Poo!"_

_When she didn't come out, I let my feet slow down and lead me in the direction of the lake, hoping I would see Potter and his crew there, since it seemed to be a normal spot for them._

_Someone was there though, bending gracefully over and picking the flowers from around the lake. Her long black hair flowed down, almost touching the ground and the sun shown down on her, making that flowing hair glimmer and her whole being shine with an unnatural radiance_. _A smile and a sigh of relief came from me as I approached her, taking in every inch of the lovely scene in front of me._

_Cree looked up at me as i stopped next to her, a smile coming to her own face. "Hello, Draco," she said. _

_I grinned at her, holding out my hand. "Walk with me?"_

_She looked pleasantly surprised as she took my hand, the other still holding onto the flowers she'd picked. _

_We didn't talk as we walked around the lake. But each time our eyes met there was something unspoken there, something that both frightened us and excited us. I let my fingers intertwine with hers, smiling down at her. She smiled back, a faint blush on her cheeks._

_I suppose I should have known then._

**A Year Later**

* * *

And I suppose it's a good thing I know now . . . a good thing that I knew a year back when she was locked away in the Malfoy dungeons.

I twirled my fingers into her blond hair as we walked and she frowned at me as I laughed. She hated wearing the disguise she was forced to wear but there was no way she would just sit in the house all day, every day.

She smacked my hand away, her blue eyes flashing. I wrapped my arm around her waist instead, giving her a light squeeze. She rolled her eyes before reaching down in front of her to give our son his bottle.

Scorpius was his name and he was one of the most beautiful little boys I had ever seen (though that could just be the father in me talking). His dark black hair (which we took to blaming on his maternal grandfather) was curly at the tender age of six months and his dark eyes (also the fault of his maternal grandfather) sparkled as he laughed. Though his hair and eyes resembled that of his mother, he had my features. But thankfully, he had his mother's smile.

Secretly married, secretly living, our whole life might as well be a lie.

But we were happy. Incredibly happy.

We didn't speak as we walked but each time our eyes met there was something unspoken, something that excited us both. I leaned over and gave her a rather passionate (considering the public place) kiss. When I moved back she was grinning, a blush on her face.

I'm glad I know. I'm glad I figured it out.


End file.
